More than half way through my year as an international Officer, I can’t help but stop and think how lucky I am to be in this position. I’ve gotten the chance to meet so many amazing people and to explore new avenues for myself as a Scholar and a Leader. Last year this time it didn’t really seem possible, but as I work with my team to create a scholarship for students that will aid in college completion and help mentor students in my own country I’m very proud of what I have been able to accomplish this year and excited for what lies ahead. My first semester as an Officer, albeit the most challenging, was well worth the struggle and has made for a brilliant lesson. Like many of my fellow Phi Theta Kappans know, the most challenging experiences forge the greatest skills and opportunities for growth.
As an “International” International Officer I’ve found that many of my experiences, ideas, and opinions have evolved. It has sometimes been a challenge for me to express this even though the environment encourages it. Traveling to the various regions and meeting the varying group of students always opens me to the diversity that exists within the organization and in the United States.
I think that the greatest thing that I have been given this year is a network of students who understand how hard and important it is to devote your life to education and work in Community Colleges. Many of the happy moments that I have had this year have come through my involvement in Community College and through my work with Phi Theta Kappa. When I think about how I have grown and developed over the last few months it is humbling to think that it all stemmed from my decision to not transfer from my Community College. As the year comes to a close, and with Christmas only 2 days away, I can’t imagine a single gift that is better than what I’ve already gained. When I think about all the memories I had in Phi Theta Kappa, I think about Annual Convention, Leadership Conferences, Honors Institute and the ISLP Program that my involvement in PTK made possible.
With only 7 days until the New Year, I have no idea how the following year can be better than this, but I’ve learned through hard work and dedication anything is possible. My biggest dreams are all centered on my education. This is why I am so proud and so honored to be a donor, contributor and an International Officer responsible for creation of the Oberndorf Lifeline to Completion Scholarship. It is truly inspiring to know that what my team and I and I have done so far will be a catalyst for helping someone complete his or her degree.
Completion to me has moved from a vague idea to the focus of my next year and well after. I never understood what it would do for me to believe in an idea that was focused outside of my island and my home. The C4 initiative is something that I’ll always appreciate. Committing to complete my Associate Degree has been the most momentous promise I have ever made to myself and glad I can help others in this goal.
When your 2010-2011 International Officer team was saying goodbye, they left us with one very good heartfelt piece of advice: "Make the most of your time in office, because you can do SO much!" And they were absolutely right! Our team has put a lot of effort in making sure that we have made the most of our time and our privileges as International Officers, and I am proud of the things our team has managed to achieve!
Me and my campaign manager, Matthew Liguori
My mentality as an International Officer has been the same as my goal for being a Candidate- do the very best you can, help as many people as you can, don't have any regrets looking back. When I ran for office, it was with full confidence that I could make a difference as an International Officer- and with the "dream big" mentality that the whole 2011-2012 Team embraced, we exceeded even my high expectations.
In front of my picture at HQ!!!
As a Phi Theta Kappa geek, visiting Headquarters had always been a goal of mine- so when we got to Jackson for our first round of training it was awe-inspiring to be in a place that emodied the organization that meant so much to me. Not only was I there, but MY picture was on the wall as a student leader for the organization, and MY name was on the International Officer plaque below the names of people I respect and look up to as examples of excellent leadership. To say I geeked out might be an understatement!
My small group in Boston <3
I had a lot of fun in Boston at the Honors Institute this year- every place I experience as a Phi Theta Kappan leaves a big impression as a small town girl from Arkansas who doesn't leave the state much. :) Every place I've been- from Orlando and California to New Mexico and Ohio- has been breathtaking and inspiring, and it's one of the thing I love most about my experiences as both a regional and an international officer. Boston was particularly exciting for me because the previous Honors Institute was my first (and a truly amazing experience that inspired me to run for IO) and here I was being the student leader passing on that experience to the newer members of our Honor Society. It was a reminder to me of the circular nature of Phi Theta Kappa as an Honor Society for two-year colleges... we come in and experience and learn, and then we pass along those learning and growing experiences to others. It is my duty as a Phi Theta Kappan who has gained SO much from my time in the organization to take up the mantle of leadership and pass along my knowledge to others who will pass it along again- leaving a Phi Theta Kappa legacy that will affect countless students in the future. This is why YOU chapter and regional officers are SO important- you are the key to the Phi Theta Kappa experience for so many!
Speaking in front of 4000+ smart people!
One of my favorite moments as an International Officer was during our Fall Orientation in Jackson in August when the International Officer team sat down and hammered out our goals for the year. I had so many hopes for the legacy we would leave as a team, and with the strengths of every team member put together we put together a list that exceeded my expectations. (Why? Because we're awesome AND good-looking! Right guys?) We focused on building up the International Officer experience through communication and consistency, helping our members through some positive changes in society outlook (Hello, STAR chapters!), and bringing our whole community together for one great big awesome project that will help Phi Theta Kappans have the resources they need to COMPLETE THEIR DEGREES!!! (Have you made plans to contribute to the Obendorf Lifeline to Completion scholarship fund yet???) I couldn't have asked for more meaningful, high-reaching goals- and I have to admit that this was the moment when I fell in love with my International Officer team.
My home chapter- Beta Zeta Omega
My fall travel was both amazing and humbling- I got to visit two regions who had both requested that I come to their regional meetings: the New Mexico region and the Ohio region! It was incredible to me that in my brief time in Seattle and Boston I had made an impression on these student leaders that led them to request that I come represent Phi Theta Kappa to their students. As always, interacting with members is always my number one joy as an officer for the organization- and that has proved no less true as an international officer. New Mexico was GORGEOUS and one of the friendliest places I have been to (and their mountains put my Ozarks to shame!). The thing that most impressed me during my visit to Ohio was the involvement and excitement of their alumni association... they were helpful, informed, and excited about providing as many opportunities the the Ohio students as they could manage. That, and I am seriously considering moving to their state JUST to get one of those Phi Theta Kappa license plates!
My husband Russ
(official title: Mr. Sarah)
Being an International Officer has come with a few challenges... there is always a learning process to any new position and this one is no different. As an International Officer I had to learn to mesh with a highly-motivated group of individuals to form a great team (what is this "task sharing" you speak of??), represent the ideals and organizational goals of Phi Theta Kappa, and balance the rigors of being a good International Officer with those of classes (physics and calculus and biology, oh my!), along with my responsibilities at home and at work. Throw in the excitement (and increased sleep requirements) of being a first time mom-to-be and you have a good picture of a week out of my life! But as I tell students all the time, you get out of Phi Theta Kappa what you put into it, and not one single thing I have experienced during my time with the honor society has not been to my very great benefit- if not also to the very great benefit of others.
Phi Theta Kappa
International Vice President
Division III
2011-2012
There was a time in my life when I was unsure what kind of future I was suited for- even as an honor student I was always looking for my limitations when considering my life goals. But I woke up one morning and asked myself "What's the biggest thing I could dare to achieve right now in my life?"- and the answer was clear to me... being an International Officer for Phi Theta Kappa. Running for this office was one of the scariest, most exciting learning experiences I have ever gone for- and being on this team and wearing this red medal has meant so much more to me than just having my name on a plaque or my picture on the wall... it has meant the dawn of a new era in my life in which I am not limited by my weaknesses nor afraid of my limitations. We have reached for lofty goals and dreams as an International Officer team, and we have worked together with the amazing Phi Theta Kappa staff to see those dreams realized- further cementing my view that we are all capable of big world-changing things regardless of who we are, where we are from, or what experiences we have had in the past. Never has my campaign motto (a quote from Harriet Tubman) held more true:
If I had to come up with one word to describe my experience as an International Officer thus far, I would have to call it nothing short on insane. One minute things are exciting (well they are always exciting :-) ) and the next they are completely stressful. Sometimes I feel like I am doing really well and other times I feel like I am not doing enough. Whenever I start to get overwhelmed, I think back to the beginning and remember why I wanted to run and what I hoped to bring to the organization and it brings everything back into perspective but it's certainly not all easy!
When we were first elected, I felt a whirlwind of emotions. We were paraded off stage and pulled into a side room where our pictures were taken and we were apart of the outgoing officer goodbyes. The next morning, we participated in a brief orientation where we were given a long list of assignments (mostly readings) and information about our actual orientation that took place a month later in Jackson. Headquarters has become one of my favorite places to be and it's always so much fun going there and learning something ELSE about Phi Theta Kappa and spending time with the other officers. Our trips to headquarters always has something surprising in store!
One important piece of the first orientation in Jackson was preparing for the Honors Institute in Boston (my own backyard!). Our major goal for Honors Institute was to appear available to Phi Theta Kappans and we tried a couple of different things to make that happen - our game night and the dinner that I invited my seminar group to on Thursday (though we had many people outside of the seminar group!). As a team, we recognized how it may be difficult for people to get in touch with us and we wanted to eliminate some of those barriers by working hard to reach out.
In August, we got to travel to Jackson for the second of three trips throughout our term. This was just as busy but had some bonding times built in - which was great because what team doesn't need a chance to get closer? We also got our fall travel schedule which was something that all of the Speaker's Bureau were looking forward to :-) I think this is the trip where things really starting sinking in. I am a very introverted personality by nature and had concerns about traveling to conferences that required me to open up and reach out.
My assignments this semester were in the New York Region and New Jersey (Middle States divides up their fall Regional meeting). I had absolutely no idea what to expect and both events were unique in what seemed to be expected of me. In New York, I was privelaged to essentially join their Regional Officer team for the weekend and in New Jersey, I was treated like royalty. It was so exciting to get a chance to hear what different chapters were doing, what they were having trouble with, what level they were at, etc. Each offered a great experience and taught me a lot.
All the while that we have been traveling and going to school, we have been making a point to meet as an officer team about once a week and do an online Ning chat once per month. Early in October, we announced our three main goals to you all through our monthly chat. In November, we got to spend more time discussing something that we are incredibly proud to be apart of - The Oberndorf Lifeline to Completion Scholarship! Our next Ning chat will be December 20th and we are hoping for as good of a turn out as we have been getting thus far. Clear your calendars and start preparing any questions that you have for this year's International Officer team! Also, look for the Collegefish.org survey and *please* contact your Officer team with questions or suggestions about ways that we can better serve you and your chapter!
Thank you for all of the hard work that you do!
Danielle
On April 9th 2011, I pledged to uphold the standards of Phi Theta Kappa to the best of my abilities. When I made this promise I had no idea how hard or how easy it would be to fulfill this promise in actuality. The only thing I knew for certain was that I would do the job I was now tasked with to the best of my ability and represent my fellow members and Division II in a manner that would make them proud.
One of the most challenging things for me initially was accepting that I was actually an Officer. Knowing that I held the “Highest position of leadership within this organization for Community College Students” seemed surreal to me and it was made no easier by the fact that over 3500 students saw this great change take place.
From the initial material we were required to read prior to orientation, I could tell that the expectations and standards that the organization required from its Officer team were high and that throughout the year we would have to call on skills and knowledge that may have been unknown or under-utilized at that particular time. As I practiced my etiquette and ambassadorial skills, I eagerly awaited my opportunity to bond with my team and sharpen the traits that I admired in the past officers who inspired me.
The fundamental fact that I serve on a team has been the most useful. I have three other Vice Presidents and a President to converse with, brainstorm with and most importantly enact change with. In the first few months, although they were little more than strangers, my team were the individuals I had the most contact with, family aside, and we quickly formed working relationships and friendships. Our shared goals of commitment to the organization and personal excellence made these friendships feel natural. We encourage and support each other.
Tameka, Danielle, Sarah and Jeremy and I were eager to begin our travel throughout the United States and serve as ambassadors for the Organization.
My favorite part of the job is and will probably remain meeting the various members. Living so far away from Headquarters and the majority of the Chapters in the Organization, made me unable to have the interaction with my peers that I had always desired. The difference is now in addition to the interaction I have the responsibility to Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters to represent them appropriately; to my Team, to show everyone our expertise and the members, to show that Community College students are as gifted and capable as any other group of students globally.
These new duties never manage to get in the way of my love for speaking with all of these students on Facebook, by email and at the various Regional and Honors in Action conferences I attended. If I had to summarize the experience to date in one word, I would use my favorite word: Awesome. In its most pure and unedited meaning, being an International Officer, for me, has been Marvelous, Sublime and worthy of or expressing awe.
The International Officer Team has been working to get the word out about this new scholarship. The Oberndorf Lifeline to Completions Scholarship is in the developing stages. We are asking our fellow members to help us in this initiative. Our goal is to raise over $100 thousand by April. If we beat our goal by the time we get to Nashville for our Annual Convention, Rosemary and Lou Oberndorf will match our funds up to $125 thousand.
What has proven to work best so far is word of mouth, however, many chapters and regions are including information in their next newsletter, on their websites, and their social networking pages. Many members have also been successful by posting information on Facebook.
If you want to raise funds for this cause, or if you want to inform others about it, here is the information you will need.
You can send a check or money-order in the mail to the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation, 1625 Eastover Drive, Jackson, MS 39211. Put "Completion Scholarship" in the memo field.
Every penny makes a difference! You can hold a bake sale, put on a dance, or do my favorite fundraiser; Kiss the Pig! This is where you get well known faculty and staff members on your campus (possibly your college president) to volunteer to kiss a pig (or something else if you do not have a pig). You get a large jar or can and put their name on it. Then you get others to donate money to the jar of the person they would like most to see kiss a pig. You set a date in the near future to hold the big event (this would be a good time to have a C4 commitment signing table) and at the end of the event you count the money and bring out the pig for the “winner” to kiss in front of everyone. I learned about this from the Alpha Tau Kappa chapter newsletter. I would put in a good chunk of money to see my college president kiss a pig in front of the faculty, staff, and student body. Wouldn’t you? No matter what you do to raise money, know that you are a part of something big.
The International Officers are working on something else that is big and exciting and will help in our fundraising efforts. Hopefully we will have some more news for you by the time we have our next live web-chat on Ning (www.ptkregionalofficers.ning.com). Every member who is available is welcome to login and join us 7pm CST, Tuesday 12/20/2011.
So…the International Officer Candidate Packets are ready. If you have, for one second, thought about taking the Phi Theta Kappa experience to the next level, email Jennifer.Stanford@ptk.org and ask her to email you a packet. If you are considering it, I bet you have a lot of questions. I know I did. A lot is an understatement, and I have had the opportunity to get involved with the process by helping a few of my friends campaign in the past. So if you are new to campaigning for office, I will give you what I believe to be the best advice you can get in order to run a successful campaign. That is, don’t hesitate to ask for help, and always be yourself. Now that you have everything you will need to know ;) about running for office, you might be wondering what happens if you win. I am going to provide you with a summary of the experience thus far, from my point-of-view.
There is a fair amount of travel that you will need to take into consideration when planning your class schedule. First you get to go to the Center For Excellence (Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters) in Jackson, Mississippi. You will have a TON of fun and you will learn a lot! Here is a photo of the IO Team with Dr. Risley as we toured Canton, Mississippi and learned the history of Phi Theta Kappa. Can anyone tell me where we are in this photo?
Then you get to go to International Honors Institute. You are going to love this. It’s a lot of hard work, but you will still have a lot of fun. In this photo you will see the International Officers with Phi Theta Kappa’s Dean of Service Learning, Jennifer Stanford, as we participate in Reader’s Theater.
Then back at HQ you get your travel schedule. As an International Officer you will travel to Regional Conferences to perform a number of tasks.
Me with the NE/WY Regional Team
I went to the Nebraska/Wyoming Region the weekend of Sept 30th. We learned about Honors In Action, College Fish, and other elements of the Phi Theta Kappa experience. Then we took a walk through history as we studied Native Americans lifestyle at the Dancing Leaf Lodge. Here I am with the NE/WY Regional Team.
Me with the IL Regional Officer Team
I also went to the Illinois Region. We listened to a live folk musician, participated in improve comedy, discussed and planned a Regional Honors In Action Project and more, all while getting deeper into the Democratization of Information.
Sometimes as an International Officer you will get asked to speak at chapter inductions and certain other events. This year the National Council for Student Development was holding their annual conference in the Denver area. Rod Risley, Phi Theta Kappa’s Executive Director and all three of Phi Theta Kappa’s deans were there. I was asked to participate in Phi Theta Kappa’s educational forum at the NCSD Convention on October 24th. I gave a short speech on the importance of college completion from the perspective of a student--through my own personal experience. I was also very excited to tell the attendees about one of Phi Theta Kappa’s next levels of action in C4…The Lifeline to Completion Scholarship.
Later that day, Rod Risley posted this on his Facebook wall:
Phi Theta Kappa's Team of Monika Byrd, Jennifer Stanford, and Intl VP Jeremy Mathis presented the Community College Completion Corps - C4 at the Annual Conference of the National Council for Student Development today. Their presentation was recognized as a winner of the Obanion Shared Journey Exemplary Award for demonstration of exemplary practices furthering student development in community colleges. Congratulations and go C4!
Rod was also a major part of that presentation.
As an International Officer you will still be active in your chapter, although it will be in different ways than before. I am very proud of my chapter for what they have accomplished so far this year. They have hosted a campus clean-up, an Honors Seminar Series event for the Colorado Region, and raised over 2000 pounds of good for the student food pantry at my school, all while working on their College Project and Honors In Action project.
I am just about finished sharing my experience, but there is one more thing.
Many Phi Theta Kappa members have already been a part of some sort team before. Maybe it was Student Government or a team sport. You develop a relationship with every person on the team, whether you know it or not. When you are elected to serve as an International Officer, you are put on a team with four other intelligent, passionate, inspirational, and motivated leaders. You may not have known them before the campaign process and they are very likely to come from a completely different background than you. However, you will have the opportunity to become their teammates and work together to accomplish things that you can’t even dream of right now. I am proud and honored to be working on the team with my fellow International Officers. Please remember this quote from Helen Keller, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."
If you are reading this, you are a part of the Phi Theta Kappa team. Right now we are working together to achieve something great. It just got better to be a Phi Theta Kappa member, because Phi Theta Kappa offers over $37 MILLION in scholarships and you have the opportunity to help that number grow! We, the International Officer Team, need you to help spread the word and build the excitement about fundraising for the Lifeline To Completion Scholarship. Just like we did for the Hites Scholarship Challenge, every penny counts, and many chapters and regions committed to holding fundraisers of all kinds and donating money to the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation for it. We can’t do it without your help. Please send an email, make a Facebook post, include information about the fundraising excitement in your next newsletter, or do whatever you feel will help build the momentum as we raise money for this scholarship to help Phi Theta Kappa members complete.
I hope you're ready for Thanksgiving. I know I am!
So, as you can imagine, things have been crazy this semester. Inductions, conferences, homework, meetings, scholarship applications, college searches...whew, I got tired again just typing about it.
Seriously though, when it's all said and done, I wouldn't have it any other way. The past six months have been hectic, but I've learned that when it comes to staying busy and getting stuff done...I can kick butt and take names! (I mean c'mon, that's what we do as Phi Theta Kappans right?)
Alright, enough talking (typing?). Let our journey begin...
One word to describe the Texas Leadership Conference? AWESOME. Imagine walking into the room where Phi Theta Kappa members have their fists pumping, feet stomping, mouths cheering, with energy through the roof! Hopefully, they'll let me come back to their Spring conference in Odessa Texas. I think the BBQ and Rodeo are calling my name.
Moving on to the Phi Theta Kappa photoshoot. Vogue, vogue, vogue! :-) Those smiles are happy smiles btw (it's because they promised us candy).
And now we come to the next stop on our tour...the Alpha Zeta Omega Induction. You see those smiling faces? What's not shown is the packed house of supporters that attended the ceremony. Faculty, students, family, friends, you name it, they were there. I was honored to be in attendance at such a cherished event!
And now let's play a game. "Where's Tameka?" Middle States Region style! Beautiful scenery, terrific members, interesting discussions and awesome food. What more could you want in a conference?
Oh no! Our final stop. Well our journey has come to an end, but I hope you had a Happy Halloween. What am I you ask? Lol...your guess is as good as mine! Au revoir!
Don't forget to join your International Officer team for a Ning chat you won't want to miss! Nov 15 @ 7pm (central) Not registered yet? Click on this link ningchat.com and see you there!
I have to say this semester has been absolutely crazy! We've been having a great time traveling and connecting with Phi Theta Kappans across the country. Each of us were assigned to two different regional meetings for the fall semester. My assignments included the New York Region Leadership Conference and New Jersey's Honors in Action Conference.
"Dear Santa..."
New York's Regional meeting spanned from Friday October 7th - Sunday October 9th - beginning with dinner on Friday night. The conference was a lot of fun and consisted of various phenomenal speakers including an author and distinguished alumni and a volunteer from Make a Wish Foundation. One of the Region's projects is with the foundation and requires students to do nothing more than write a letter to Santa for Macy's to donate up to $1 million! If attendees weren't convinced to help just by hearing how easy it was, the keynote speaker's moving words certainly would have.
Some of New York's Regional Officers
The bulk of Saturday was spent in various workshops - one of which I had the opportunity to work with past International President, Edgar Romero, on which was a lot of fun for me - and some exploring of the city.
The wrap up on Sunday gave participants a chance to reflect on their experiences at the conference and hear about the ambitious goals set by the Regional Officer team. For more information about the conference, feel free to visit my personal blog or New York's Regional Website.
New Jersey (Middle States Region)
The following weekend I was assigned to visit New Jersey for their Honors in Action Conference. Unfortunately, I didn't actually get to attend that much of it due to what felt like everything possible going wrong. After a delayed flight, a changed flight, and a missed flight, I didn't actually end up in New Jersey until about 1:00pm on Saturday (for a conference that was supposed to go from 8:30-4:00pm). I had a small window of opportunity, however, to meet with some extremely motivated individuals.
Once I arrived at the conference, I gave the Headquarters update and met many of the conference attendees. I couldn't believe how excited they were that I was there and how many projects they had going on! I got to hear about some successful signing events and projects being planned for the year ahead. The Middle States Region has designed a "Constellation Completion Challenge" - a step by step program to help the Region meet its three main goals. This is clearly a very motivated region and I am excited to see them again in the spring! After going out to dinner with Regional officers at the end of the conference, I went to bed early in preparation for more airports. Despite the challenges, I had a great time with the New Jersey Region. For more information about the Middle States Region, visit their Regional Website.
For those of you who are new to the blog, please be sure to go back and read (especially the earliest ones) for more information about the International Officer team's goals related to communication. Also, we have our second IO hosted Ning chat on Tuesday November 15 where we will be divulging more information about the scholarship (if you have no idea what I am talking about, contact me or your Division Vice President)! This is a chat that you do not want to miss. :-)
This is your International Vice President from Division III, and I've had some amazing experiences during fall travel this semester.
I first traveled to New Mexico for their Regional Honors in Action Conference, and was blown away by the beautiful scenery driving to Los Alamos and by the friendliness of the members there. The conference was informative and interactive, and members had opportunity to ask questions and think critically about what they had heard after every presentation. It was a pleasure giving the Headquarters Update here, as a lot of the members (and advisors alike) asked great questions! New Mexico is a region with a lot of heart and soul, and I'm looking forward to seeing the awesome things they are going to accomplish this year.
The very next weekend I was excited to travel to the Ohio region for their Honors in Action conference in Cleveland. The entire experience in Ohio was excellent- fro start to finish. The Regional Officer team took great care of me while I was there, as well as the Ohio alumni association- the Alphas. Anyone looking for a strong alumni association to model after would do well to get in touch with these dynamos! The entire conference was well thought out and interactive- from the discussion Friday night about censorship and the Democratization of Information to the breakout sessions held on Saturday. It was exciting to see so many members interested in running for Regional and International Office in the spring... these are Ohio's leaders of tomorrow, and I can't wait to see the region in NASHVILLE!!!
Both of the regions I visited were having discussions about chartering a regional bus to the Annual Convention in Nashville. I hope all of our regions are having discussions about helping each other get to Nashville! Have you seen the video at youtube.com/phithetakappa yet?
If you missed out on the big announcements in the Ning chst this week, or if you want to be in the know about the Phi Theta Kappa happenings, be sure to check in on Phi Theta Kappa on the web. There are a lot of exciting things happening very soon on the Phi Theta Kappa Facebook page, so make sure to keep checking back! (Hint: How many members are there in the group?)
I want to send a big thank you to all of the members, advisors, and regional officers and coordinators who have welcomed their International Officers to regional events... interacting with you and giving you more tools to make your Phi Theta Kappa experience even better is the reason why we put so much heart and soul into our positions as International Officers. If we can serve you in any way, please feel free to get in touch via Facebook or email any time!
My first trip was to Deland Florida to attend the leadership conference hosted by the Delta Omicron chapter at Stetson University. I was very excited to give the headquarters updates to my home region and to experience the events that were part of the Leadership conference. The sessions that I attended were Ethics, Goal setting and Team building. These sessions were thought provoking, informative at times very funny. I was excited to see some my old friends and to interact with many of the new members. I was eager to hear and share some of our regional plans. I spoke to the members about some of the upcoming events that the International Officer team had planned for the year.
The conference ended very well and I was excited to hear that many of the new members were eager to go back home and find ways to get involved in the initiatives and programs that their chapters were working towards.
My next trip was to Delaware to participate in their Honors in Action conference at Delaware Tech although this was my first time in Delaware I was very happy to meet all of the members that I had been in contact with over the summer through Facebook and Skype and see what their goals were for the year while sharing the international officer team's goals for the year. I was very impressed to see how involved and how excited they were to get started with their own projects and how eager they were to help us with our own goals.
I attended a question and answer session where conducted by their regional officer. I was also glad to help answer some questions in an international level and offer help where I could.
My travels and experiences as an officer thus far have been unforgettable. It is always great for me to get to meet so many remarkable students and representing them has been a sobering experience. As Tameka, Danielle, Sarah Jeremy and I work on our goals for the year, I look forward to the Skype conferences I get to have with the members and the Team meetings I have every Tuesday.
You may be aware of the fact that social networking is infiltrating our lives in one form or another. Many online classes are setup in a social networking capacity. Even Phi Theta Kappa’s own Competitive Edge and the portfolio site, Mahara, that is used for CE have networking capabilities. It is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid.
If it is your goal to avoid social networking, that’s OK. I still believe in a good old fashioned face-to-face meeting, and with me they usually are accompanied by a hand shake or a hug. However, with the increasingly popular use of Smartphone technology, now equipped with email, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, eBuddy, AIM, Yelp, Tumblr, Flicker, Four Square, etc. (I think I made my point), all at the touch of a button , andit fits in your pocket…the days of actually being able to “reach out and touch someone” are dwindling. We are able to interact with a larger number of people from all over the world on a regular basis. This means that, although we certainly are able to shake hands with man or woman who we buy our produce from, we will have to settle for a video chat if we want a face-to-face with the person on eBay who is buying our previously viewed seasons one through five DVD set of How I Met Your Mother.
When I was little, someone came out and pumped our gas and a postal worker sold us stamps over the counter. We have since replaced those jobs with automated machines that you stick your credit card in, and forget coins; I can use a vending machine or pay my parking meter with my Visa or MasterCard. I will get off my soapbox for now so that I can get to the point of all of this. Technology is getting better and faster every day, and our choices for communication are increasing as well. So the 2011-12 International Officer Team would like to give you more than just one option to communicate with us as well as receive news and updates. We know how cumbersome it can get when you have to create yet another username and password for a site just to get some information. Therefore, we have joined a few sites in hopes that you are already on one of them and all you have to do is follow us.
With so many options for receiving information, it is no wonder why The Democratization of Information was chosen as an Honors Study Topic. I hope that you have found one or more of these web links beneficial. Please share them with your fellow chapter members and officers, and remember that you can contact any one of the International Officers if you have a question or concern.
More than half way through my year as an international Officer, I can’t help but stop and think how lucky I am to be in this position. I’ve gotten the chance to meet so many amazing people and to explore new avenues for myself as a Scholar and a Leader. Last year this time it didn’t really seem possible, but as I work with my team to create a scholarship for students that will aid in college completion and help mentor students in my own country I’m very proud of what I have been able to accomplish this year and excited for what lies ahead. My first semester as an Officer, albeit the most challenging, was well worth the struggle and has made for a brilliant lesson. Like many of my fellow Phi Theta Kappans know, the most challenging experiences forge the greatest skills and opportunities for growth.
I think that the greatest thing that I have been given this year is a network of students who understand how hard and important it is to devote your life to education and work in Community Colleges. Many of the happy moments that I have had this year have come through my involvement in Community College and through my work with Phi Theta Kappa. When I think about how I have grown and developed over the last few months it is humbling to think that it all stemmed from my decision to not transfer from my Community College. As the year comes to a close, and with Christmas only 2 days away, I can’t imagine a single gift that is better than what I’ve already gained. When I think about all the memories I had in Phi Theta Kappa, I think about Annual Convention, Leadership Conferences, Honors Institute and the ISLP Program that my involvement in PTK made possible.
